Watee wheel



no Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. PIGGE.

WATER WHEEL.

I Patented Feb. 6,1883.

.2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. PIGGE.

WATER WHEEL.

atented Feb. 6.1883.

m-mhc m. Washinghan. 0,1;

y UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

AUGUSTUS FIGGE, 0F No. 14. BAKER STREET, COUNTY or MIDDLESEX,

. I ENGLAND.

WATER-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,824, dated February6, 1883. Application filed July 11,1852. (No model.) Patented in EnglandMay 17, 1882, No. 2,320.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS FIGGE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing at No. 14 Baker Street, in the county ofMiddlesex, England,civil engineer, have invented certain new and useful lmprovetnentsinWater- Wheels and Paddle-Wheels, (for which I have received LettersPatent in Great Britain, No.-

2,320, dated 17th May, 1882,) of'which the fol-- lowing is aspecification.

This invention has for its object improvements inwater-wheels andpaddle-wheels. The purpose which I have in view is more especially toobtain motive power from the flow of water in rivers by means ofwater-wheels of peculiar construction carried upon floats, float- ..ingstructures, or otherwise. The motive power can be advantageously appliedin pumpingavater for irrigation and in generating electricity to beapplied to operate plows or for other pur poses. My improved wheel canalso be used as a propeller. The wheel is provided with floats analogousto those of an ordinary paddie-wheel; but'they are free to turn uponaxes or pivots. They are weighted so as to preponderate slightly oneside over the other, and tend consequently to assume a verticalposition. I make the floats of large area,and in order to securelightness I form them of rectangular frames of iron tube, covered withcan- ,va-s; or they may be of other suitable shape.

and material. Each pivot or axis is provided with a short cross-head,armed at its extremities with small wheels or pulleys, to lessenfriction against the guides by which the floats are controlled. Therearetwo guidesoneon either side of the wheel. Each consists of a fixed plateformed to the curvature of the wheel, and extending around it or aroundthe lower half of it. The plate is provided along its edges with inweirdly-directed flanges. The cross-heads upon the pivots'or axes of thefloats enter between the flanges ofthe guides atabout the level of themain axis and before the floats enter the water. The flanges are here ata distance apart exceeding the length of the crossheads, so that thefriction wheels or pulleys do not at once come into contact with theguideflanges. In descending, however, the flanges approach each other,and when the floatis directly under the axis of the wheel,in the mostcentrically to the axis of the wheel.

efficient position to be acted upon by the stream, itis controlledbyparts of the flanges, which are so close together that there is butjust room for the friction wheels or pulleys of r the cross-head to passbetween them, and con-. sequently the float is compelled to retain itsvertical position; but nearly to this point the distance betweentheguide-flanges is such that a certain freedom is left to the float toad- 'mit of its accommodating itself to the stream in entering andleaving the water, so that it may do so with as little disturbance andexpenditure of power as is possible. The guides may consist of railsfixed against the sides of 6 the ponton or floatingstructure. In somecases, in place of providing the axes or pivots of-the floats withcross-heads, I provide simple arms carrying but one friction wheel orpulley, which works in a guide-course set ec- This is the form which ismost suitable when the wheel is used as a propeller. The water intowhich the floats of the wheel dip is contained in a at the bottom. Thisis the case both with water-wheels and paddle-wheels or propellers.

In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readilycarried into effect,

water-course which is closed on both sides and 7 5" I will proceed todescribe he drawings here- So unto annexed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation, and Fig. 2 is afront elevation, of a stream-wheel constructed according to myinvention; pellers. Figs. 3 and 4, are views showing a wheel of modifiedconstruction, and Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a vertical and ahorizontal section of a float with its water-course and wheel.

mounted and through which the power is con.- veyed to the machinerywhich it is intended to drive.

Similar wheels may be used as pro- A is the main shaft, upon which thewheel is B B are the bearings of the main shaft upon 5 D! to the outerrings or periphery ofthe wheel. :00

The floats are so weighted or hung that they tend to assume a verticalposition.

' heads may be provided to reduce friction.

F F are the fixed guide-plates on either side of the wheel, and FFtheirfianges, by which they act upon the wheels or pulleys E E aridcontrol the floats. The guides do not interfere with the floats so longas they maintain the vertical position which the preponderance of theirlower ends tends to bring about; but the guides prevent any deviationfrom this position at the time when the floats pass beneath the shaftand arein efficient action. In this arrangement there is very littlefriction in the guides. Figs. 3 and 4 show the arrangementin which, inplace ofthe cross-heads E E, there are arms E E each carryinga singlefriction wheel or pulley. A corresponding alteration is made in the formof the guidecourse.

When lmount mycwheels upon floatingpontons the arrangement which I adoptis that indicated by Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 shows to a small scale atransverse section of the ponton, and Fig. 6 shows a horizontal section.As will be seen, the wheel works in a watercourse, which is providedthrough the body oftheponton,and this water-course is bounded at thebottom and sides by compartments which give buoyancy to the structure.The entrance to this water-course and the exit from it are widened out,so as on the entrance side to lead the water in and on the exit side todeliver this water with as little disturbance as possible. With the sameobjects I also provide at each end of the ponton a hinged platform,which, when raised, closes the mouth, but when lowered forms acontinuation of the bottom. This platform also is provided with sidesforming continuations of the fixed sides of the mouth and increasing thewidth of the opening.

Where great regularity of motion is required,

as when using dynamo-electric machines for electric light, I arrange thewheels to work pumps raising water into elevated tanks upon the ponton,and from these tanks I draw water to actuate turbines, which drive thedynamo-electric machines.

I arrange the dynamo-electric machines ver swinging or freely-pivotedfioats, each preponderating on one side ofits pivot, and means by whichthey are held vertically when in position for eflicieut action, theseparts being constructed and operating substantially as here in beforeset'forth.

2. The combination of the arms and rings composing the frame-work of thewheel, the floats pivoted to the rings and weighted or preponderating,as described, therollers connected with the pivots of the floats, andthe guide controlling the floats by acting upon the rollers when beneaththe level of the wheelshaft, substantially as and for the purposehereinbeforc set forth.

AUGUSTUS FIGGE.

Witnesses:

JOHN DEAN, GEo. J. B. FRANKLIN.

